NRCC names first 10 Young Guns - Citizens United backs Amash over primary challenger in MI-03 - New Kingston ad stresses military issues in Ga.

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NRCC NAMES FIRST TEN YOUNG GUNS: The National Republican Congressional Committee has named its first ten “Young Guns” of the 2014 cycle, its designation for top new recruits against incumbent Democrats or in open-seat races. They are: Martha McSally, who’s challenging Democratic Rep. Ron Barber in AZ-02; Carlos Curbelo, facing Democratic Rep. Joe Garcia in FL-26; Bob Dold, running against Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider in IL-10; Mike Bost, challenging Democratic Rep. Bill Enyart in IL-12; Richard Tisei, facing Democratic Rep. John Tierney in MA-06; Torrey Westrom, running against Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson in MN-07; Stewart Mills, facing Democratic Rep. Rick Nolan in MN-08; Ryan Costello, running for retiring Rep. Jim Gerlach’s seat in PA-06; Barbara Comstock, running for retiring Rep. Frank Wolf’s seat in VA-10; and Evan Jenkins, challenging Democratic Rep. Nick Rahall in WV-03. The list is a mix of both the top districts that have long been on Republicans’ target lists and the Republican recruits about whom they’re most excited: Rahall, for example has always been seen as one of this cycle’s most vulnerable Democrats, while McSally (though she’s run before) is arguably one of the NRCC’s rising-star recruits. It’s also a signal to scandal-ridden former Rep. David Rivera — who announced he’d run again in FL-26 this year — that the NRCC chose to put Curbelo on this list.

FIRST IN SCORE — CITIZENS UNITED BACKS AMASH: The Citizens United Political Victory Fund will announce today that it’s backing GOP Rep. Justin Amash against his primary challenger in Michigan’s 3rd District, Score has learned, donating a total of $10,000 to his campaign ($5,000 for the primary, $5,000 for the general). In a statement, Citizens United President David Bossie says voters in Amash’s district “need to rally around Congressman Amash to counter the establishment’s false attacks on a leader who simply wants to correct a broken system.” Amash is facing fellow Republican Brian Ellis in the August 5 primary; as POLITICO’s Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman noted last week, the GOP establishment is spending big to defeat Amash (http://goo.gl/ce9PSZ). But conservative groups are coming to Amash’s rescue — the Club for Growth has already run six-figures’ worth of ads on his behalf.

FIRST LOOK — KINGSTON AD HITS OBAMA OVER MILITARY: The latest ad from GOP Rep. Jack Kingston in the fast approaching May 20 Georgia Senate primary takes aim directly at President Obama over military issues. “President Obama has it all wrong. He’s growing government with wasteful spending while drastically cutting our military, leaving us with the lowest number of active duty troops since before WWII,” he says in the ad, adding that he’s “worked to protect Georgia’s military installations and make sure our troops are well trained and well equipped.” “That way they can keep your family safe and return home to theirs,” he concludes. The ad is backed by six figures and begins running in markets across the state today. It was made by the Strategy Group for Media. Watch: http://goo.gl/4pQTeT

As the Nebraska candidates near the finish line, John Conyers tries to stay on the ballot and Robert Gates likens a presidential campaign to “instant divorce,” here's POLITICO's Morning Score: your daily guide to the 2014 midterms.

Campaign Pro subscribers are reading the latest from the notebooks of POLITICO’s John Bresnahan and Anna Palmer, including the White House’s new fundraising jaunts for the DSCC/DCCC, Patriot Majority’s new spending in House races and the Club for Growth going dark in ID-02.

MORE PRE-MAY 20 NUMBER-CRUNCHING: Daily Kos Elections has put together pre-primary fundraising numbers from all the major candidates in state with May 20 primaries: http://goo.gl/1pgqEc

A WRITE-IN CAMPAIGN FOR CONYERS? Michigan Democratic Rep. John Conyers doesn’t have enough signatures to make the ballot in his district, a county clerk said Friday — meaning Conyers may need to run a write-in campaign in order to keep his seat in Congress. The incumbent had 592 valid signatures, 408 short of the 1,000 he needs to qualify; Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett can decide Tuesday whether or not he should be allowed to stay on the ballot. Could Conyers win a write-in campaign? The Detroit Free Press suggests he could: “He’s blessed with better name recognition than anyone else planning to return in Michigan’s congressional delegation, as well as five decades’ worth of favors to call in and high-placed friends to count on. Anyone counting out the 84-year-old Conyers too soon does so at their own risk.” Conyers’s primary challenger is Rev. Horace Sheffield. http://goo.gl/4oUwf8

LIVE TODAY, POLITICO’s newest series ALL POLICY IS LOCAL - with its first coverage area focusing on ENERGY. The series covers the 2014 midterms like no one else, examining the intersection of politics and policy and the impact on industry and community. See full coverage including the must-read piece by Andrew Restuccia reporting from Colorado on the closely watched Senate race and the fracking fight here: http://politi.co/1iH8vFK.

QUICK HITS ACROSS THE MAP

-NH-Sen: Republican Scott Brown’s campaign released a new web video featuring veterans talking about their support for him. http://goo.gl/WsOoZu

-IA-Sen: Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley released a new ad talking about the influence his mom has had on his life. http://goo.gl/49rYzH

-KY-Sen: The pro-Mitch McConnell super PAC Kentuckians for Strong Leadership launched a TV ad painting Alison Lundergan Grimes as rank-and-file Obama Democrat. The ad is backed by more than $550,000 and will run statewide until the May 20 primary. http://goo.gl/zm4rDZ

-CA-17: Democrat Ro Khanna has gotten his second big newspaper endorsement in as many weeks — the backing of the district’s main newspaper, the San Jose Mercury News, which says Khanna “is ready for the Congress of tomorrow, while [Rep. Mike] Honda is a politician of the past.” http://goo.gl/Mj3bno

-GA-Gov: An Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll by Abt SRBI has GOP Gov. Nathan Deal with only a slight lead over Democratic candidate Jason Carter, 46 percent to 43percent. http://goo.gl/Mt9DvU

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